1 THE VIRGIN, THE INFANT JESUS, AND RAPHAEL." ず THE candour, the suavity of expression, the grace, the purity of the contours, the simplicity of colouring, the naïveté of the pencil observable in this picture, have rendered it highly estimable in the opinion of connoisseurs. It is known under the name of the Madonna della Seggiola, and is deemed one of the most valuable productions of Raphael. It is executed in the second manner of that great artist. It is well known, that upon arriving at the third great époch of his art, he acquired a bolder touch, and a more vigorous style of colouring; but as this subject required more sweetness than dignity, more delicacy than vigour, its merit would not have been enhanced, had it been executed with a broader pencil, and in a more decisive mode of colouring. The picture of the Madonna della Seggiola decorated originally the Gallery at Florence: on its being brought into France, it was exposed for a time at the Museum: it is now placed in the Palace of Bonaparte at St. Cloud. In the description which Mengs has left us of the principal pictures in the Royal Palace at Madrid, this celebrated painter, who united to a great superiority in his profession the talent of writing with much sagacity on THE VIRGIN, INFANT JESUS, AND ST. JOHN. the theory of his art, makes mention of a small picture, presumed to be by Raphael, similar to the composition under review. The only difference observable between the two works is, that the figure of St. John the Baptist is omitted in the picture in the Spanish collection, and the personages are of a smaller proportion than in that removed from Florence. The former picture appears to have been retouched by the hand of Raphael: it cannot, however, be considered as a perfect work, but simply as a sketch. The head of the Virgin, according to Mengs, is nevertheless entirely by the hand of that master: it is full of grace and expression, and may be put in competition with his other works. THE MARRIAGE OF MARY DE MEDICIS. RUBENS. THE Grand Duke of Tuscany espouses, by proxy, Mary de Medicis, in the name of Henry IV. The Cardinal, Aldobrandini, gives them the nuptial benediction. Near the queen, the Grand Duchess, Jane of Austria, and the Duchess of Mantua, are observable. The Duke de Bellegarde, principal equerry of France, bearer of the king's proxy, and the Marquis de Sillery, who had been appointed to negociate this alliance, accompany the grand duke. The church of St. Mary del fiore*, where this event took place, is ornamented with garlands of flowers; and decorated with the utmost magnificence. Over the altar is a group in white marble, representing the Almighty, bearing his dead son upon his knees. Of the several pictures which compose the Luxembourg gallery, this composition approaches the nearest to historical fact. We nevertheless find the abuse of allegory: Rubens has introduced the god Hymen, who with one hand holds his torch, and with the other supports the robe of the queen. This figure is peculiarly beautiful, and has no other defect than that of being misplaced. This subject afforded Rubens an opportunity of dis-; playing all the richness of his colouring. It is impossible * One of the churches at Florence, where the marriage was celebrated, in the month of October, 1600. |